Saturday, January 10, 2009

DOG FANCIERS 10,809: PETA 451

The LA Times Unleashed blog reports that more than 300 of you left comments in favor of airing the Westminster Dog Show and as of 10:00 AM CST, their on line Poll recorded 10,809 votes in support of the show vice 451 for cancelling the show.

They also report that the BBC, who has canceled the broadcast of the venerable Crufts Dog Show, wants no endorsement from PETA, calling the organization, "...a bunch of crackpots." Well, what does that say about their siding with PETA on Crufts. Momma says, "Birds of a Feather."

You are off base about BBC siding with Peta. BBC, through the documentary, is justifiably critical of disregard for breed health by breeders and the KC and wants to improve dos shows and breeding. Peta, on the other hand would do away with breeds and dog shows altogether as being exploitative.

I can tell you as an insider, the the lack of concern for breed health in the design and management of breeds, by the breed clubs, is indefensible.

Fred, while I agree that the BBC is not as bad as PETA (Who is?), they are not friends of the purebred dog owner. Their campaign to ban such iconic breed as the Bulldog, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and the Clumber Spaniel, breeds should be an affront to every British subject. While all these breeds require the breeder's special attention, these are issues best left to the KC, the Breed Clubs, and the individual breeders.

In any case, forums like Crufts are the exact platforms to showcase what the breeds should be. I am a numbers kind of guy. While you may be able to find a champion dog out there that has a serious health problem, it would be the exception, not the rule. The vast majority of show dogs are healthy, viable animals.

If you take away the spotlight on a breed provided by the showring, you will sentence the rare breeds to extinction and whatever the BBC's good intentions that is a PETA goal.

When rogue left-wing organizations like PETA can infiltrate large organizations like the BBC and other local US based broadcast companies, its time to start writing letters and protesting the protesters.

I've been involved in purebred Alaskan Malamute and Afghan Hound breeding for over 30 years. I've seen the results of poor breeding programs, those that don't do their homework on their CERF, OFA and PennHIP data. Funny thing is that 99% of the problems we breeders face in the media are caused by the small majority of 'Puppy mill' breeders. PETA AND the BBC are truly clueless and did not do their research well on this whole matter. Countless breeds have been SAVED by breeding out genetic defects that were common to their respective bloodlines, but PETA wont listen to, read or research any of that data because it doesn't fit their cause. I guess PETA wouldn't mind knowing that Doberman's used to bleed to death, or that Afghans became blind after the age of 3, or that Malamutes, Huskies, and other Spitz bloodlines were predisposed to crippling, painful dysplastic tendencies that have been BRED OUT of the genepools now due to responsible breeding.

A perfect example as to why rogue organizations like PETA are no different than the Nazi war machine of many decades ago.... spread disinformation and terrorize those who don't agree with their statements.

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SHOW INFO

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The author has been attending dog shows as a spectator and exhibitor for over 45 years. He is a retired management consultant who has advised multiple organizations affiliated with the AKC and the Cat Fanciers Association on business management, long range planning, customer service, and legislative matters. After 25 years of living in the big cities of New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, he now resides in his hometown of Memphis, TN.

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